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Ad spoof features Ryan Reynolds hanging off a helicopter
British communications service brand BT‘s Behind The Scenes advertising campaign continues to build on the success of the recent up-to-52Mbps ad starring actor Ryan Reynolds. The spoof campaign aims to parody the creative process of the ad industry by giving viewers an entertaining insight into what goes on behind the camera.
The latest ad from the campaign, titled Helicopter, shows how far the WI-FI signal could go with the new BT Smart Hub. In the spoof, viewers will see Ryan Reynolds introduce the new BT Smart Hub in his typical charming manner. After which he casually walks to his garden, grabs onto a waiting helicopter and says, “Watch me dangle from a helicopter in the next ad for BT’s new Smart Hub.”
Dan Ramsay, BT Consumer marketing director, explains that they brought Reynolds back for this campaign as he had proved a real hit with viewers previously, commenting Reynolds for being a “great sport and [coming] up with some brilliant creative suggestions during the shoot.”
ASA raps BT’s knuckles over misleading claims
Created in partnership with creative agency AMVBBDO, and directed by Nick Jasenovec, the spoof ad tried to bring to life BT’s claim that they’re “UK’s most powerful wi-fi signal” in a compelling way. Unfortunately, the UK Advertising Standards Authority didn’t think so. Following a barrage of complaints from competitors and the general public, the advertising watchdog ruled that BT broke 12 ASA rules with its series of ads; It was an “inaccurate” and “misleading” claim that the Smart Hub provided a “stronger signal” than all its competitors, said the ASA, which received 61 complaints, including from rivals Virgin Media, Sky and TalkTalk.
What are your thoughts? Is this a case of misleading advertising or simply their competitors looking for an edge? Watch the video for yourself and share your opinions on social media or the comments below.